The End
by clerky
Summary: This is not a tonic. It's a load of depressing stuff that I've been thinking about. Please don't read if you're looking for something to cheer you up


WARNING: Anyone who's depressed about what happening on screen should not read this. It'll just make you even more depressed. It's just a bunch of stuff that's been rambling around my head lately. And if you do read it and it makes you sad it's your own fault cos I warned you.

All the characters below belong to ITV

The End

Paddy gently placed Leo back in his crib. The newborn had been awake for almost an hour and Paddy had told an exhausted Rhona to go back to bed. It was hardly surprising that the infant was unsettled with everything that had been going on over the past few days. Confident that Leo was finally asleep, at least for the next couple of hours, Paddy slowly stepped out of his and Rhona's room. As he opened their door he could hear sobbing across the hall. This had been going on for hours and while he longed to go in and try to comfort the young man he had come to regard as a son, he had instead spent most of the night cowering in the hall unable to comprehend what had happened, let alone offer help.

Five hours earlier Paddy had brought Aaron home from the police station, flanked by Cain and Chas. They may not be perfect but when push came to shove Aaron's mother and uncle would do anything for the lad, even if that entailed causing a scene at the police station. They had sat there for six hours while the interview was conducted. They tried to make sense of it all but there was no logic that could explain what had happened. A young man was dead. Dead - after fighting so hard to survive after the accident. He had been given a second chance and he choose to give up on it. Their minds lurched between pity and anger. However desperate his situation had been what gave him the right to put Aaron and Hazel in this position. His agony is over now, he's free. But what he'd left behind was too painful to even think about.

Eventually the door which their eyes had been burning a hole in for hours opened but it wasn't Aaron that emerged. Bob, who had been sitting quietly at the other side of the waiting room, rose slowly to his feet and walked towards Hazel who with a look of total bewilderment emerged. Chas leapt from her chair and was at Hazel's side in an instant. She couldn't control the words that spilled from her mouth, she didn't even know what she was saying. Hazel looked terrified, too weary to put up any resistance. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. After what seemed like an eternity Cain stepped in and led Chas back to her seat while Bob ushered a dazed Hazel towards the door. "Bitch" was the last word Hazel heard as the door of the police station closed behind her. Chas slumped back into her chair, rivers of mascara and tears running down her face.

Cain had hardly spoken since Chas and Paddy had arrived at the station. He explained that Aaron was ok, well as ok as he could be and told them what little Aaron had told him. But after that he sat down and waited. He listened to Chas and Paddy's theories about what led Hazel and Aaron to this course of action but he couldn't join in. He was haunted by the sight of Aaron when he found him. Everyone knew that he could be a fragile kid. But he had spirit, he had guts. When he looked into his eyes earlier that day there was nothing. It seemed as though every last ounce of strength had left his body and the older man could not get this image out of his head.

After what seemed like an eternity Aaron emerged from the interview room. His face was pale and tear stained and his sleeves were pulled over his hands. He looked at Cain, Chas and Paddy as though they were strangers. Nobody spoke, nobody knew what to say. Chas moved towards him and pulled him towards her. She sobbed into his ear as she held him but he didn't react. He stood motionless until she loosened her grip and turned to face the detective inspector. "So what happens now" she spat at him. The Dingles didn't like police and the feeling was very mutual. "Your son's being released on bail Miss Dingle. We couldn't get much out of him today so we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow..."

Paddy didn't know how long he'd been standing in the hall. It could quite possibly have been for hours. He couldn't bear it any longer. How could he listen to someone he loved so dearly in such pain and do nothing. He made his way into Aaron's room. The teenager was curled up on the bed, fully clothed with his back to the door. The vet sat on the edge of the bed not wanting to intrude too much. He out-stretched one hand and gently rubbed Aaron's arm. "Aaron" he said quietly before putting his right hand behind the mechanics head. No further encouragment was needed. Aaron turned around in the bed and briefly looked Paddy in the eye before burying his head in the older man's chest and continuing to cry. Paddy held him close, occasionally offering words of comfort while gently rocking him, even smiling to himself when he realised that he'd done the same thing with Leo a couple of hours earlier. Eventually exhaustion proved to be too much and Aaron fell into a much needed sleep. When he heard a gentle snore Paddy loosened his grip and let Aaron fall back into the pillows, silent at last. Paddy then put stretched his legs along the length of the bed before resting his head against the headboard. He wasn't going anywhere that night. He'd stay with Aaron. He'd always stay with him.

The End


End file.
